Ghost Fleet
by ncismka233
Summary: Gibbs, Tony, Ziva and McGee get stuck on an abandoned Navy Vessel on a dark and stormy night in October. Things go bump in the night, will they find a murderer or something else? I've been obsessed with the Chimera episode, so that episode is what brought on this story. Creepy, has a few Tony/Gibbs moments, a little Tony/Abby brother/sister no slash.


On a dark night in Norfolk, Virginia three men were working at the James River Reserve Fleet in the thick fog on the cold October night. A man by the name of Seaman Lenny Wilsa is mopping up the deck while the other two men, Seaman Richard Burke and Seaman William Granger are inside inspecting and cleaning the 700ft non operating naval vessel on the spooky October night.  
"This is definitely one of the creepiest jobs I've ever had."  
"Why's that Rich, scared of ghosts?" Granger asked.  
"Are you?"  
"Well my friend I am from the great city of New Orleans. Back there we believe in a lot of things." Granger said.  
"You didn't answer the question." Burke said.  
"I don't scare easily, but I noticed that Wilsa does." Granger said. Burke looked out the window and saw Wilsa looking around paranoid as he mopped. Burke smiled and said,  
"Give him a break he's only been here a few weeks."  
"Well being easily spooked isn't a good trait if you work on a ghost fleet reserve." Granger said.  
"I like it here, it gives a sense of mystery and suspense." Burke said.  
"Rich, Will get out here!" Wilsa yelled.  
"And fear." Granger said. They sat their equipment down and went out to the deck.  
"What is it this time Wilsa? Another crab?" Burke said.  
"I'm not kidding around man. Look by the shipping container!" Wilsa yelled. They walked around to the side of the shipping container and saw something disturbing.  
"Whoa! How the hell did he get on here?" Burke yelled.  
"And why the hell is his stomach glowing?" Granger asked. Lying by the shipping container was the body of a Navy Officer in the dark night with a glowing stomach.

The next day Special Agent Timothy McGee was just getting back to the Navy Yard in Washington DC with lunch in tow for his team members. He walked into the squad room struggling to keep his balance because of the big brown bag he was carrying along with a few other things in his hands.  
"McGee, does it really take that long to get a few sandwiches?" Agent Tony DiNozzo asked.  
"Well Tony, I can't just cut the line because you want your lunch by a certain time." McGee said.  
"Sure you can, where's my sandwich?" Tony asked.  
"You want to give me a hand here DiNozzo?" McGee asked irritated.  
"I will help you McGee. After all you did buy us lunch." Ziva said as she put the bag on her desk.  
"Thank you Ziva." McGee said.  
"Enough with the formalities. Where's my sandwich?" Tony said urgently.  
"What's your problem?" McGee asked.  
"I'm hungry and you've been gone for ninety minutes." Tony said as he took his sandwich out of the bas. He smelled the wrapped sandwich and sighed with delight as he walked back to his desk.  
"Ah the sweet smell of pastrami." Tony said.  
"Gear up we got a dead Navy Lieutenant in Norfolk." Gibbs said.  
"We just got lunch." Tony said sadly protesting.  
"Hmm, if only food was allowed in the truck DiNozzo." Gibbs said.  
"Ah thank the Boar's Head lord." Tony said as he got his gear and headed for the elevator.  
"Where in Norfolk are we going boss?" McGee asked when they got in the elevator.  
"Reserve fleet." Gibbs said.  
"The reserve fleet? This is gonna be a weird one." Tony said with his mouth filled with sandwich.  
"Why do you say that?" Ziva asked. Tony raised his eyebrows at her as he chewed on his sandwich. When they got to the crime scene, Ducky started talking about the history of reserve fleets.  
"These reserve fleets are informally said to be "in mothballs" which is an equivalent expression in unofficial modern US Naval usage to "Ghost Fleet." In earlier times particularly in British usage, the ships were said to be laid up in ordinary. While being held in these vaccinates the ships typically have a minimal crew which are informally known as a skeleton crew."  
"Is there gonna be a test on this Ducky?" Tony asked. Ducky laughed and said,  
"Just absorb. You should never stop learning Anthony."  
"What have you learned here Duck?" Gibbs asked.  
"Well it appears our officer suffered quite a blow to the head." Ducky said.  
"That what killed him?" Gibbs asked.  
"No I don't believe so. Honestly it's rather hard to speculate his cause of death at this point in time."  
"Time of death?" Gibbs asked.  
"I'd say roughly three to four days." Ducky said. While Gibbs talked to Ducky, Tony and McGee were talking to the crew.  
"Alright skeleton men which one of you found the body?" Tony asked. Granger and Burke looked at Wilsa who was looking green. He had been sick all week and seeing a dead body wasn't helping.  
"I did sir." Wilsa said.  
"Where did you find the body Seaman?" McGee asked.  
"Uh…" he swallowed and sighed. He was distracted and disgusted with the body.  
"He found it by the shipping container sir." Burke said.  
"How long have you worked here Tod Lubitch?" Tony asked sarcastically. Burke and Granger smiled.  
"Uh… only a couple weeks, sir." Wilsa said.  
"And you've only ever seen the officer since last night?" Tony asked.  
"If you mean he's been on the ship longer than we're saying, that's wrong. We would have seen him before." Burke said.  
"Wilsa called for us last night around 0230 and when we came out, there was a dead guy glowing." Granger said.  
"Glowing?" Tony asked confused. The team finished processing the scene and went back to NCIS.  
"What do we got?" Gibbs asked as he walked into the squad room.  
"Meet Navy Lieutenant Sam Colby, thirty-one. He resides in Norfolk where he works as a Navy Recruiter." McGee said.  
"It says in his file he worked in the FBI for a month. Something must be wrong with him." Tony said.  
"He has a wife named Gina, they live in the downtown area in Norfolk." Ziva said.  
"Go talk to her, take DiNozzo. McGee, get his CO in here."  
"You got it." McGee said. Gibbs went down to talk to Ducky about the glowing mystery.  
"You know Mr. Palmer, this tale of the glowing dead man reminds me of my time in Tangier. One of the places in the world home to the elusive Lampyris Noticula calls home." Ducky said.  
"Come again?" Palmer said.  
"Glow worms." Gibbs said as he came in.  
"Very good Jethro." Ducky said.  
"Did he die from glow worms?" Gibbs asked.  
"No most certainly not. He was poisoned, but that's not what was lethal. He has many lacerations on his abdomen which suggests…"  
"Stabbed to death."  
"Most likely."  
"Time of death the same as before?"  
"Yes he expired about four days ago. Also this substance we found in his stomach is most unusual. Abby should have the results by now."  
"Thanks Duck." Gibbs said as he left to go talk to Abby.  
"Gibbs, you'll never guess what the Lieutenant was poisoned with!" Abby said when Gibbs came in.  
"You're right I wont, why don't you just tell me." Gibbs said.  
"This is so cool! I mean someone being poisoned isn't cool, but this case is so Halloween it's crazy…"  
"Abby."  
"The substance found in Colby's system contains Phenyl Oxalate, Fluorescent Dye and Hydrogen Peroxide Solution. When these substances are combined they make light through chemiluminescence…"  
"English Abby."  
"It's a glow stick Gibbs! These things are awesome for Halloween." Abby said.  
"How was he poisoned with a glow stick?"  
"Well this amount of fluid would just be enough to put him in the hospital. Ducky also sent me the knife patterns and it matches a standard hunting knife. Someone was definitely trying to kill this guy."  
"Well they were successful this time." Gibbs said. He went back up to the squad room.  
"Someone talk to me." Gibbs said.  
"We talked to Gina Colby. Very devastated and very attractive woman." Tony said.  
"She mentioned that her husband talked about a few recruits that bothered him, but never mentioned their names." Ziva said.  
"You talk to his CO?"  
"He said he wants to talk to you in person. He said he would come as soon as he could." McGee said.  
"I'm a man of my word Agent McGee." a man said as he came in.  
"Commander Farnsworth, this is Special Agent Gibbs." McGee said.  
"Commander." Gibbs said.  
"There a reason you want to see me?"  
"Listen Colby turned down a few people who had some socio and psychopathic tendencies." Farnsworth said as he handed McGee some files he had. The team started going over files while Gibbs took the Commander up to the conference room.  
"You seem anxious to about this Commander. Is there a reason for that?"  
"I've talked to a few of these guys, they had a few screws loose. I've heard psychopaths will get rid of anyone in their way. I don't know if I'll be next." Farnsworth said.  
"Let us worry about that." Gibbs said. He took the Commander back down and went back to the squad room. The team was on the phone with someone.  
"Let's see all of these guys have sociopathic tendencies, but I don't think any of them are involved in this. You said he was stabbed which suggests a more personal connection. You're probably looking for someone he wronged or really pissed off." the voice said.  
"DiNozzo, who are you talking to?" Gibbs asked.  
"A very good friend boss."  
"Your friend have a name?"  
"Hey Agent Gibbs, it's SSA Emily Prentiss from the FBI."  
"Expert profiler. We thought she could give her perspective." Tony said.  
"My perspective says you called for a reason to talk to me." Prentiss said.  
"Uh…" Tony said.  
"What about the case?" Gibbs asked.  
"Whoever you're dealing with is probably seeking vengeance. Agent McGee sent me the file on him, Colby knew someone named Lieutenant Russell Kasper. A guy in his unit who Colby filed a lot of complaints against." Prentiss said.  
"He also owns a hunting knife." McGee said.  
"He's also due to work on the same ship as our crime scene tonight." Ziva said.  
"Let's go, thanks Prentiss." Gibbs said.  
"Anytime." Prentiss said. The team hung up and headed back to the ghost fleet on the dark and stormy October night. They pulled up to the shipyard and got in a boat to take to the ship. Gibbs drove the small boat through the graveyard of inactive and creaky navy ships. Thunder rumbled in the distance as the team boarded the ship to find Kasper on the warm October night.  
"I have a bad feeling about this." McGee said.  
"This is the epitome of spookiness." Tony said. It was dead quiet on the 700ft inactive naval tanker. The only noises audible are the thunder rumbling in the distance and the water of the James River is sloshing against the old ships.  
"Alright we have a lot of area to cover. DiNozzo, take McGee port side. Ziva, you're with me star board." Gibbs said.  
"Are you sure we can't stick together? It can get pretty dangerous out here." McGee asked. Gibbs looked at McGee.  
"Come on McFraidy." Tony said. He and McGee headed port side as it started to rain.  
"It's a bad night to be on the water. Something's wrong." McGee said.  
"Are you developing Ziva's Mosaad ninja skills?" Tony asked. They ran inside as the rain poured down. As they started looking around, a man in a black mask quietly paddled his boat up to the big ship. He unchained the ship from the other one it was connected to. The ship started moving along with the current of the river and into the stormy night. He quickly paddled away as thunder got closer and louder.  
"Why would this guy hide on a ship in the middle of the night?" McGee asked.  
"Beats me, I'll tell you one thing, I'm going to wring Kasper the ghost's neck. This place is giving me the creeps." Tony said.  
"Me too."  
"I wonder if Gibbs and Ziva are having any luck." Tony said.  
"Whoa!" McGee stumbled and put his hand on his mouth.  
"Boatphobia kicking in?" Tony asked.  
"Tony, can't you feel that?"  
"If you're getting feelings in your abdominal region, the head's over there."  
"No Tony, we're moving!" McGee said.  
"That's not possible is it?" Tony asked. He and McGee went outside on the deck.  
"Oh my God we are moving!" McGee said. They ran inside to find Gibbs and Ziva. McGee stopped and ran to the head.  
"Come on McGee." Tony said annoyed. Gibbs and Ziva ran up to them as the ship swayed in the night.  
"Tony, you two okay?" Gibbs asked.  
"Yeah we're fine." Tony said.  
"Where's McGee?" Ziva asked.  
"Loosing his lunch, hugging the bowl, shouting groceries." Tony said. McGee came out of the head holding his stomach.  
"You okay McGee?" Gibbs asked.  
"I'll get back to you on that."  
"How did we start moving? Was it the storm?" Ziva asked.  
"It shouldn't. These ships are chained together." Gibbs said.  
"Can't we just stop it?" Tony asked.  
"Well the point of a reserve fleet is to keep ships afloat and working sufficiently in case of an emergency." McGee said.  
"Well I'd say this qualifies as an emergency!" Tony said.  
"I can do my best to try and get it working." McGee said.  
"Do it." Gibbs said. "We'll keep looking for Kasper."  
"We do not even know where Kasper is." Ziva said. All of a sudden something crashed above them.  
"Whoa!" Tony and Ziva jumped. The three of them carefully went up a deck to the cargo hold. They checked the deck, but didn't find anything.  
"There is definitely someone on board. I can feel it." Ziva said.  
"Does that ninja Mossad skill tell you who's on board with us?" Tony asked.  
"Seriously?" she asked. Tony shrugged.  
"This is freaking me out boss." Tony said. Gibbs didn't say anything. He had no idea what was going on.  
"Do you hear that?" Ziva asked.  
"Hear what?" Tony asked. There was suddenly a bump from across the deck. Gibbs forced the door open and saw someone lying face down on the ground.  
"Russell Kasper, NCIS!" Gibbs yelled.  
"Who's Russell Kasper?" the guy asked.  
"Get up!" Tony said.  
"Wh, what's happening?" the guy asked.  
"This isn't Kasper."  
"I can see that DiNozzo." Gibbs said.  
"What the hell's going on?" he asked.  
"Who are you?" Tony asked.  
"Alfonso." he said. Gibbs saw that Alfonso was jittery and had a rash above his mouth and on his nose. He knew that probably meant he was addicted to smelling cleaning products.  
"He's a junkie." Gibbs said.  
"How did you get on board?" Ziva asked.  
"I don't remember. Hey why are we moving?" Alfonso asked with his speech slurred.  
"Ziva, watch him. Come on DiNozzo."  
"Where are we going?" Tony asked. Gibbs didn't answer, but Tony followed him anyway. Tony followed Gibbs back to the control room.  
"McGee, you get this thing working yet?" Gibbs asked.  
"Working on it boss. It's not easy since I'm not an engineer. I've also tried to call Abby, the director, Ducky, I can't get a signal. I can try and get the ship's radio to work, but I can't do both." McGee said.  
"Radio, get in contact with Shepherd." Gibbs said.  
"You got it." McGee said. "Where's Ziva?"  
"We found a junkie named Alfonso on board. Ziva is reprimanding him." Tony said.  
"How did he get on board?"  
"Beats me. See ya McGyver."  
"Wait where are you going?"  
"Ghost hunt for Kasper the not-so friendly ghost." Tony said. McGee looked around a little scared after Tony and Gibbs left him alone in the creepy ship.  
"How do you think our junkie got on board?" Tony asked a while later.  
"Guys like him are determined." Gibbs said.  
"It's still pretty far." Tony said. Just as they turned a corner, the 700ft tanker came to an abrupt stop.  
"Whoa!" The jolt of the ship caused Tony to fall over on his side on the cold metal floor while Gibbs hit the side of the wall. "Ow." Tony grimaced as he hit the metal floor. "I guess McGee got the ship to stop."  
"You okay Tony?" Gibbs asked as he grabbed Tony's hand and pulled him back to his feet.  
"Other than being on a ghost fleet ship in the middle of the night looking for a murder suspect, just great." Tony said. He held his hand against his head as he and Gibbs walked to the radio room.  
"Good job getting the ship to stop Macgyver." Tony said.  
"Tony, that wasn't me." McGee said.  
"Then what made it stop?" Gibbs asked. They went outside to the deck.  
"Oh great we're stuck in the mud! Even if we do find Kasper…"  
"We can't leave the ship." Gibbs said.  
"This couldn't get any worse." McGee said. Just as McGee said that, a bolt of lightning lit up the sky and made all the lights on the ship flicker. There three of them went back inside to Ziva and the junkie.  
"Gibbs, can we please throw this guy overboard?" Ziva asked.  
"No." Gibbs said.  
"We still need to find Kasper."  
"Ziva, keep an eye on him."  
"Boss, I found some radios." McGee said. He gave everyone a radio and they split up.  
"This is one of the creepiest cases I've ever worked." Tony said.  
"That a fact DiNozzo?"  
"You ever work something like this?"  
"Once."  
"What happened?" Tony asked. Before Gibbs could answer, they heard someone walking towards them. They drew their guns and slowly walked towards the sound.  
"It is alright, it is just me." Ziva said.  
"Ziva, I told you to watch Alfonso." Gibbs said.  
"Oh do not worry, he is not going anywhere." Ziva said.  
"What did you do to him?" Tony asked.  
"Let's just say he is currently unconscious." Ziva said. Gibbs looked at her. "What? He is still breathing."  
Gibbs smiled and they continued searching for Kasper. They went out on the deck by the shipping containers.  
"I feel like we should have checked here hours ago." Tony said. All of a sudden, someone behind them started approaching them. The man didn't make a move until someone was alone. Once Tony was alone checking a shipping container, the man attacked Tony. They struggled, which caught the attention of Gibbs and Ziva. The man and Tony made it all the way to the point where they're about to fall overboard.  
"Tony!" Ziva yelled.  
"Gibbs! Ziva!" Tony yelled over the rain as he tried to fight off the guy. "Whoa!"  
Tony pushed the guy and he almost fell overboard.  
"Ah help me!" he yelled. Ziva grabbed the guy, but she lost traction since the deck was wet from the rain.  
"Gibbs! Tony!" she yelled as she started to go over the side of the ship. Tony slipped then managed to get up. He ran to Ziva and managed to grab her hands before she and Tony's attacker went over. Tony's traction was starting to slip. Gibbs saw that they were about to fall overboard so he ran to Tony and Ziva. Gibbs grabbed Tony and pulled them to safety.  
"Ah!" they yelled. They got up and Gibbs cuffed him and brought him back inside.  
"Who the hell are you?" the guy asked.  
"Funny we were gonna ask you the same thing." Tony said.  
"Kasper, Lieutenant Kasper."  
"Huh we've been looking for you Kasper the friendly ghost." Tony said.  
"I'm serious!" Kasper yelled.  
"Why were you hiding?" Gibbs asked.  
"I was scared, I didn't know anyone else was on board. Why are you looking for me?" Kasper asked.  
"We were just wondering why you killed Lieutenant Sam Colby." Tony said.  
"Sam's dead?"  
"Your CO said you had beef with Colby." Ziva said.  
"He's crazy, no one had a bigger problem with Colby than Graves. He didn't tell you?"  
"Tell us what?" Gibbs asked.  
"Last month Colby reported Graves showing psychopathic tendencies after he got back from Afghanistan."  
"We'll talk to him."  
"Great, can I go now?" he asked.  
"No." Gibbs said.  
"I'll check on Mr. Good Wrench." Tony said. He went down to the communication room. "How's it coming McGee?"  
"Tony! You'…re okka…aay!" Abby yelled.  
"Abby! Nice work McTechno." Tony said.  
"The signal isn't very strong." McGee said.  
"You got something McGee?"  
"Gibbs!" Abby yelled.  
"Hey Abby, get me the director." Gibbs said.  
"I.. I'm here… Jeth…th…ro. Is… everyone oka..ay?" Shepherd said.  
"Yeah we're fine. You got someone looking for us?  
"Looking? Aren't you in the fleet?"  
"That signal is much better! Great job Abby!" McGee said.  
"Storm cut the ship loose, we're stuck in the mud."  
"Gibbs, there is a lifeboat on the starboard side." Ziva said.  
"We'll use the lifeboat Jen, see you in a few hours." Gibbs said.  
"Wait Jethro, just stay ther…"  
Gibbs threw the radio back on the table and they all went to the lifeboat with Alfonso and Kasper along with them. They were soon set on the James River in a small lifeboat heading back to the shipyard. Everyone was tossed around the lifeboat by the power of the high winds of the storm.  
"Whoa!" McGee yelled. To McGee it felt like he was about to fall out… or empty the contents on his stomach.  
"This is insane!" Tony yelled. Ziva, McGee and Alfonso ducked down for cover after a bolt of lightning lit up the sky and thunder crashed. Things were bad for Tony, the crash of the thunder startled him which made him almost fall overboard.  
"Whoa, jeez!" Tony said. The lightning struck again as Alfonso stood up. He jumped against Tony as the thunder crashed which caused Tony to fall overboard. He shot up from the cold river just as soon as he fell in.  
"Tony!" Gibbs yelled when he realized that Tony was overboard.  
"Gibbs! Help!" Tony yelled as the current pulled him away from the boat. Gibbs ran to the back of the boat and reached out for Tony. Tony managed to grab Gibbs' hands just before the current took him too far down. Gibbs pulled Tony back to the boat and Ziva and McGee helped pull him back on. Tony fell on his side once he was back aboard.  
"Tony, Tony, you okay?" Gibbs asked as Tony started coughing. Tony looked up at his team and blinked the river water out of his eyes.  
"Whoa! That wasn't very refreshing." Tony said as he kept coughing. Gibbs took his jacket off and wrapped it around Tony. Tony sat up and put Gibbs' jacket above his head to keep the rain from getting him more wet. It took a while for the lifeboat to make it through the raging storm, but the team finally made it back to the shipyard.  
"Ziva, McGee get Kasper to NCIS and find Matthew Graves." Gibbs yelled over the rain. Tony got in one of the sedans with Gibbs and Alfonso while McGee and Ziva got in the other sedan with Kasper.  
"Where are we going boss?" Tony asked.  
"Hospital."  
"Why's that? I'm fine I just need a hot shower." Tony said.  
"Not for you." Gibbs said.  
"Is this the matrix?" Alfonso asked loudly. Tony looked back at him and could tell that the effects of the inhalants Alfonso was taking were waring on him.  
"Oh I get it." Tony said. After Gibbs dropped Alfonso off at the closest hospital, he decided to drive Tony home. Gibbs figured an unexpected swim in a freezing river was enough for Tony. He knew Tony needed sleep and a lot of it. "Boss the Navy Yard is the other way."  
"I know." Gibbs said.  
"Where are we going? We have to question Graves don't we?" Tony asked.  
"Ziva and McGee can handle that." Gibbs said. Tony looked up to see where Gibbs parked.  
"Oh my apartment. I'll be back in an hour." Tony said.  
"No. No you've been through enough today. We'll take care of it. You go, get some rest." Gibbs said.  
"I really don't mind coming back…" Gibbs glared at him.  
"Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow." Tony said. He got out of the car and shut the door. Tony started to turn back to the sedan.  
"How else do you want me to say it Tony?" Gibbs asked.  
"I just wanted to say thanks for the ride." Tony said. Gibbs gave him a half smile and knocked his head to the side and said,  
"Go get out of the rain."  
"No argument there. See you tomorrow boss!" Tony said. Gibbs smiled as he watched Tony run to the entrance of his apartment building as the rain continued to pour. He started the car and went back to the Navy Yard.  
"Where's Tony?" Ziva asked when Gibbs got back.  
"I sent him home. Where's Graves?"  
"Interrogation." McGee said. Gibbs motioned for Ziva and McGee to follow him. Gibbs walked into the room and threw the file on the table in front of Graves.  
"Sir, can you please tell me why you woke me up at one in the morning?" Graves asked impatiently.  
"You wanna tell me why you killed Lieutenant Colby?" Gibbs asked.  
"Excuse me?"  
"Drop the act. You own a hunting knife correct?" Gibbs asked as he threw a hunting knife in an evidence bag on the table.  
"So what? I hunt that's not a crime."  
"No, but murder is." Gibbs said. Graves swallowed hard as he stared at the table. He wouldn't say anything. Gibbs smacked his hand on the table and said, "Hey!"  
"I'm getting dishonorably discharged because of that bastard!" Graves yelled.  
"That a confession?"  
"I poisoned him too you know." Graves said angrily and proudly.  
"With a glow stick." Gibbs said not impressed at all.  
"My son has a ton of them!" Graves said. Gibbs didn't say anything else, he just forcibly made Graves stand up and cuffed him. Once Gibbs was finished with Graves, he went to find Abby, but she wasn't there so he went back up to the bull pen.  
"Anybody seen Abby?" he asked.  
"I called her when we got to the sedan. She said she had something important to do." McGee said. Gibbs looked over at Tony's desk and smiled.  
"You tell her what happened to Tony?" Gibbs asked.  
"Yeah why?" McGee asked. Gibbs knew, as he always does. Abby is very sensitive to her friends, especially Tony when they get hurt. Back at Tony's apartment, Abby surprised Tony when he came in to make sure he was alright. After Tony took a hot shower, he and Abby had a hot dinner from their local Chinese take out place. Tony was so happy to have Abby there taking care of him. She's always like a sister to him. Within an hour, Tony and Abby were sound asleep on Tony's pull out couch.


End file.
